James bam



(No Model.)

J. RAM.

GAME APPARATUS. No. 320,091. Patented June 16, 1885.

9 J0 I! I2 UNITED STATES PATENT JAMES RAM, OF LONDON, ENG LAND.

GAlVi E APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,091, dated June 16, 1885.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES RAM, a subject of the Queen of England, residing at London, England, have invented new and useful Apparatus or Appliances for Playing a Novel Game,of which the followingisa specification.

This invention consists of a chart or board and cards or equivalent devices with which the game is played. The chart is preferably square and crossed by four chief lines, which may be distinguished by special letters or equivalent devices, and dotted and colored for distinction. These cross at the center of the chart and form eight radii from the common center. Other plain lines parallel with the sides of the chart may be used to divide it into sixteen squares, like a chess-board, and within each square is a number. The cards or equivalent device are formed into four different suits, which are distinguished by letters or other devices, every card of the same suit bearing the same distinctive device. There are sixteen cards, numbered consecutively, in each suit, and those which are intended to be placed upon the diagonal chief lines may have a corresponding diagonal line upon them to facilitate the selecting and plac ing of the cards, one corner of each of which may be cut off or rounded, or the card otherwise formed so that the player can readily arrange them right way up.

In playing the game it should be borne in mind that certain suits prevail over others. Thus, if they are designated by letters, 13 will be superior to A, O to B, D to O, and so on, D being the highest.

The object of each player (or of the partners, if they are playing in pairs or groups)is to secure the greatest number of cards, that player who plays the highest card in symmetry with the other cards, as will be presently explained, securing the entire trick-that is, all the cards which have been laid down in one round.

The number of players may vary, four being a convenient number, but seven will do very well. The cards are dealt round in In the latter case, as there would be one card over, it must be thrown away, and the lowest card in the pack-say A 1would be the most suitable to dispense with. In other cases more than one card may have to be dispensed with.

By the expression symmetry is meant that the cards shall balance each other about that line upon or in connection with which they are placed. The symmetry, therefore, may vary considerably, the test being that if the chart were folded along the line of symmetry the cards on each side of the line would fall upon each other. These cards havingthe diagonal line previously mentioned upon them are considered symmetrical in themselves, because there is an equal portion upon each side of the line upon which they are laid.

The apparatus I employ will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan of the chart in the form in which I generally use it. The other figures represent the cards, Ste.

The chief lines are represented by the letters E I O U, and are shown dotted. The subsidiary lines are represented by the plain lines, and for distinction are marked with crosses in Fig. 1. Each of the squares thus formed is distinguished by a number, 1 to 16, or 0 to 15, which may be arranged in any convenient order.

Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 show a convenient form of the cards, one corner being rounded to facilitate arranging them right way up. The large letter determines the suit, and the Nos. 14. 12 2 10 indicate the number of the card in the suit. The small letters and numbers at the top are for convenience of reference when the cards are arranged in the hand. Colors for both letters and numbers or for portions or the whole of the cards can be employed at pleasure.

The shading represents a band of color across each card.

As it is not desirable to encumber this specification with the complete rules for playing this game, I shall merely give a general description of the mannerin which the chart and cards are used. The essence of this game is symmetry, the symmetry consisting in so placing the cards upon the chart in relation to each other and to that line about which they are placed that they balance each other, or are symmetrically arranged. Thus in Fig. 6 the cards are in symmetry, as they balance each other about the line or axis E E, No. 2, balancing No. 5, 3 balancing 9, 7 10, and 4 13 In Fig. 7,also, the Nos. 1 6 11 16 may be said to be symmetrically disposed about line E E. In Fig. 8 N o. 2 balances 14 about the line I, 3 balances 2 about the line U, 5 balances 2 about the lineE E, and 12 balances 2 about the line 0.

I claim- 1. A chart bearing upon its face cross-lines I U, diagonal lines E O, and subsidiary lines,

X X X X, and divided into squares or sections n umbered from 1 to 16, or O to 15, substantially as set forth and shown.

2. In combination with a chart,as specified, 20 four suits of cards or equivalent tokens, each suit bearing a distinctivedevice and numbered from 1 to 16 or ,0 to 15, substantially as specifled.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my 25 hand in the presence of two subscribing witncsses.

JAMES RAM.

Witnesses:

ALFRED J. BoRELT, BERNIIARD DUKES. 

